Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors Jayce et les Conquérants de la Lumière
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Genre	Sci-fi/Animation
Developed by	J. Michael Straczynski
Voices of	Darrin Baker Len Carlson Luba Goy Charles Jolliffe Valerie Politis Dan Hennessey Guilio Kukurugya
Narrated by	Ernie Anderson
Opening theme	"Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors Opening Theme" performed by Shuki Levy
Ending theme	"Keep on Rolling" performed by Shuki Levy
Composer(s)	Shuki Levy< Haim Saban
Country of origin	France Canada
Original language(s)	French English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	65
Production
Executive producer(s)	Jean Chalopin
Running time	22 min.
Production company(s)	DIC Audiovisuel ICC TV Productions, Ltd.
Distributor	SFM Entertainment
Release
Original network	TF1 (France) Syndication (United States)
Original release	September 9, 1985 (1985-09-09) – April 27, 1986 (1986-04-27)

Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors is an exciting animated TV show from France and Canada. It first aired in France on September 9, 1985, and then in the United States on September 16, 1985. The show was made by DiC Audiovisuel and animated by several Japanese studios.

This series ran for 65 episodes, each about 30 minutes long. It was created to help sell Mattel's Wheeled Warriors toys. The story was a big adventure that never quite finished, leaving fans wanting more!

The show features two main groups fighting each other. The good guys are called the Lightning League. They are humans who drive cool white and silver vehicles with lots of weapons. Their leader is a brave teenager named Jayce. The bad guys are the Monster Minds. They are scary plant-based creatures that travel using huge green vines. These vines can grow across space and sprout new Monster Minds. The very first Monster Mind, Saw Boss, leads them.

The Story of Jayce and the Monster Minds

The show's story was developed by writers like Jean Chalopin, Haskell Barkin, and J. Michael Straczynski. Straczynski wrote many episodes, trying to make the show's concept more exciting. Haim Saban and Shuki Levy created the music for the series.

The show follows Jayce and his friends, Flora, Herc Stormsailor, Oon, and Gillian. They are on a mission to find Jayce's father, Audric. At the same time, they must fight against Saw Boss and his evil Monster Minds.

How the Monster Minds Began

Jayce's father, Audric, was a botanist (a plant scientist). He did experiments with biotechnology, which is like using living things to create new technology. In one experiment, he created Flora, who is a special plant-human hybrid. Audric also tried to create a plant that could end hunger.

But when he succeeded, a nearby star exploded into a supernova. The powerful radiation from this explosion changed Audric's special plant and four others. They became the Monster Minds, a race of plant-like monsters who want to take over the whole universe!

The Magic Root and the Quest

Audric discovered a special root that could destroy the Monster Minds. But he had to escape before he could finish his work. The Monster Minds then took over his laboratory. Audric kept half of the root himself and gave the other half to his loyal helper, Oon. He sent Oon to find Jayce.

So, Jayce and his friends begin their big quest. They need to find Audric and put the two halves of the magic root together. This is the only way to stop the Monster Minds forever!

The Unfinished Movie Plan

The Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors toy sales were not as good as hoped. Because of this, the TV show's 65 episodes were not extended, and the story ended without a proper ending.

However, there was a plan for a movie! If the show had been more successful, a movie would have been made, like for other toy-based shows such as Transformers and G.I. Joe. The script for the movie was written, but it was never filmed because the toy line didn't sell well enough.

What the Movie Finale Would Have Been

If the movie had been made, it would have given the series a big ending. Jayce and his Lightning League would have met the original Lightning League. They would have trained on the home world of the Guardians.

Jayce would finally reunite with his father, Audric. But sadly, Audric would have been killed by Saw Boss during a huge attack by the Monster Minds. In a final battle, Jayce would have put the root together and destroyed Saw Boss, ending the Monster Mind threat for good.

Meet the Characters

Here are the main characters from the show:

The Lightning League Heroes

• Jayce - The main hero! He carries the special Ring of Light and half of the Magic Root.
• Audric - Jayce's father. He created the Magic Root, the Monster Minds (by accident!), Flora, and the first Lightning League vehicles.
• Gillian - A wise wizard and a mentor to Jayce and Flora. He helped create Flora and all five of the first Lightning League vehicles. He seems to be very, very old!
• Flora - A unique character who started as a flower and was grown into a humanoid by Gillian and Audric. She has telepathic powers, meaning she can sense Monster Minds and talk to animals and plants.
• Oon - An "Eternal Squire," a loyal helper. He first served Audric and then was assigned to protect Jayce.
• Herc Stormsailor - A brave mercenary who owns and pilots a space ship called The Pride Of The Skies II. He's a skilled pilot and fighter.
• Brock - Flora's flying fish friend. He "talks" using chirps and whistles.
• The Zoggies - A group of three robot dogs. They often chase Oon around!
• Jal Gorda - An alien spy who helps the Lightning League. Audric saved him from the Monster Minds, and he has been loyal ever since.

The Monster Minds Villains

• Saw Boss - The scary leader of the Monster Minds. He grew from the very plant Audric created to end hunger.
• Gun Grinner - A sub-boss who controls the Gun Trooper clones.
• Terror Tank - Another sub-boss who controls the Terror Trooper clones.
• K.O. Kruiser - A sub-boss who controls the KO Trooper clones.
• Beast Walker Commander - A sub-boss who controls the Beast Walker clones.
• Saw Trooper Commander - One of the few Monster Minds, besides Saw Boss, who can look like a human.
• Dr. Zorg – A scientist who works with Saw Boss.

The Awesome Vehicles

Both the Lightning League and the Monster Minds have amazing vehicles!

Lightning League Vehicles

The Lightning League vehicles can be driven by the team members. They can also follow pre-set battle plans without drivers, controlled by Jayce's communicator. When Jayce talks to them, they respond with "Command Acknowledged."

First Lightning League Ground Vehicles (Created by Gillian)

• Armed Force - A vehicle with a big grappling arm. Jayce and Oon usually drive it.
• Drill Sergeant - A two-seater vehicle with a drill for digging tunnels. It also has two hidden guns. Flora often drives it.
• Quickdraw - A vehicle with a hidden gun and a spiked wheel for digging. Gillian is its pilot.
• Spike Trike - A fast, three-wheeled vehicle with spiked wheels at the front. Herc often drives this one.
• Trailblazer - A large, robotic, four-legged vehicle with a front-mounted battering ram. It's very strong and can carry smaller vehicles inside. Any League member can pilot it.
• Battle Base - A mobile fortress that holds all the other vehicles. It's usually attached to Herc's ship, The Pride. It has a huge gun turret. Any League member can pilot it.

Second Lightning League Ground Vehicles (Created by Gillian)

• Flingshot - A vehicle with a catapult, built in the episode "The Stallions of Sandeen."
• Spray Gunner - A vehicle with a cannon that sprays different liquids.
• The Motor Module - A low-riding vehicle with a powerful engine, used for repairs or hauling.

Lightning League Air and Space Vehicles

• The Pride Of The Skies II - Also called "The Pride," this is Herc Stormsailor's space ship and the home for the Lightning League.
• The Space Scooter - A small air-bike.
• The Emergency Cruiser - The Pride's shuttle craft, used for quick trips.

Monster Minds Vehicles

Most Monster Mind battles use clones of the main Monster Minds, which grow from vines. Saw Boss can talk to these clones with his mind. These clones are called "troopers" (like Saw Trooper, Terror Trooper). The true Monster Minds can change from their human-like forms into much larger and more powerful vehicles when they leave their headquarters.

First Monster Minds' Ground Legions

• Saw Troopers - A vehicle with a large buzzsaw on a spinning stalk.
• Gun Troopers - A vehicle with many cannons and a spiked flail.
• Terror Troopers - A tank-like vehicle with a big, Venus flytrap-like mouth.
• K.O. Troopers - A truck-like vehicle with a large wrecking ball on a stalk.
• Beast Walkers - A large, four-legged vehicle with a front-mounted claw. They look a lot like the AT-ATs from Star Wars!

Second Monster Minds' Ground Legions

• Flapjacks - A van-like vehicle with a catapult.
• Lurchers - A vehicle with a front ram.
• Snapdragons - A smaller four-legged walking vehicle with "petals" that open to show a laser cannon.
• Battle Stations - The Monster Minds' version of the Battle Base. It used a lot of energy to create.

Monster Minds' Air and Space Legions

• Cruisers - A larger Monster Mind spacecraft.
• Scouts/Satellites - A smaller Monster Mind spacecraft.
• Drill Vines - A small rocket with a drill nose, used to break into targets and release vines.
• Pods - Plant-like crafts launched by Cruisers or Scouts.
• Space Fighters - Small Monster Mind starfighters.

Monster Minds' Network of Legions

• Expansion Vines - Large vines used to take over a planet and grow Monster Mind Troopers. They can also connect planets in space.
• Spore Vines - Smaller vines used to release biological weapons like gases.
• Receptacles - Block-like plants that create a teleportation point for Saw Boss's headquarters.
• Brains - Small plant masses with one eye, used for communication by Monster Mind agents.

Episode List

Voice Actors

The talented people who gave voices to the characters include:

• Darrin Baker as Jayce
• Charles Joliffe as Gillian
• Gilles Tamiz as Oon
• Luba Goy as Oon (in one episode)
• John Stocker as Gun Grinner
• Dan Hennessey as Audric, K.O. Kruiser, and Saw Trooper
• Valerie Politis as Flora
• Giulio Kukurugya as Saw Boss
• Len Carlson as Herc Stormsailor and Terror Tank
• Peter Lewis as The opening announcer
• Ernie Anderson as The main opening announcer
• Victor Lanoux as The closing announcer

The Mattel Wheeled Warriors Toys

The Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors TV show was based on a toy line by Mattel. The toys were designed as vehicles that could be mixed and matched. Their slogan was: "Monster Minds gone mad! Lightning League to the rescue!"

Kids could combine different parts from the toys to create their own unique vehicles. Accessory packs were also sold with extra wheels and weapons. The toys came with a mini-comic, but it didn't have a detailed story like the TV show. The toy characters were simple human drivers for the Lightning League and green brains for the Monster Minds.

The TV show was ordered to help boost toy sales. However, the show's story was very different from the toys. Because of this, the show didn't really help sell more toys. Mattel planned a second series of toys with characters that looked more like the TV show, but these toys were never released.

Home Video Releases

Over the years, Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors has been released on home video in different formats.

• In France, the whole series came out on VHS and later on DVD.
• In America, some episodes were released on VHS in the 1980s.
• In 2003, a DVD called Escape from the Garden of Evil was released with four episodes.
• Later, Shout! Factory and Mill Creek Entertainment released the entire series on DVD in different volumes. In 2018, the complete series was released on DVD.

Comic Book Adventures

An unfinished comic based on the series was published in the French magazine Pif Gadget. The story ended on a cliffhanger, and the rest of it was never published in that magazine. This comic even had new characters, like a sorceress named Algora who worked with Saw Boss.

The full story, called "Le Sortilège d'Algora" ("Algora's Spell"), was later finished and printed in another French magazine called Poche Junior.

Images for kids

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See also

In Spanish: Jayce and The Wheeled Warriors para niños